Garden Center at E Whiteland/Frazer #4119

Set Up For Springtime
It's time to start thinking of spring. Sweep the gazebo and clean out the shed to prepare for fragrant breezes, warmer temperatures, and sprouts poking up out of the ground. Planting seeds indoors near a sunny window means you'll be ready to transplant young veggie plants and spring annuals when the ground thaws and the frosts are through. You might even want to sow organic seeds directly into the earth. What better way to start than by exploring your favorite local plant nursery, The Garden Center in E Whiteland/Frazer, PA?

Plant Hardiness Zones Explained
The first thing you should know when planting vegetables, spring flowers, and other seeds is your planting zone. Every location in the U.S. and its territories is sorted into blocks by climate. Find your zone on the USDA zone map and learn when to plant seeds.

For example, you could plant bell pepper seedlings outdoors in mid-March in Zone 10, but not until the end of May in Zone 4. For best results, choose plants in your zone number or less. In other words, a Zone 8 garden can support plants listed as Zones 1–8. You can plant seeds indoors roughly a month before you can plant them outside, known as direct sow. Always read your seed packet for details. If you start plants later than recommended, it's not ideal, but it will likely even out as time passes.

Gardening in Your Growing Zone
In Zone 5, which includes parts of Pennsylvania as well as upstate New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and southern Maine, your best bets for veggies will be root vegetables like beets and carrots, leafy greens including lettuce, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli and kale. You can try squash, but prepare for additional warming upkeep when late frost is forecast. Planting dates are roughly mid-March through May 1st, depending on whether you're direct sowing or starting your seeds indoors.

Much of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, southern New York state, and Massachusetts are in Zone 6, so planting can begin earlier there than farther north. Parts of Virginia are even warmer, coming in at Zone 7. The outdoor growing season doesn't begin until mid-March or even April, although you can plant some veggie seeds halfway through February. Squash, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, and other classic garden crops will do well in this region, and most of them can get an early start indoors before spring really moves in.

Plant Seeds Outside With Direct Sow
Planting seeds into your garden soil, or using the direct sow method, is an alternative option. It doesn't give you as much organized planning in terms of reliability and spacing compared to indoor starts. However, if you like to go with the flow, follow the instructions on your seed packet and try it out.

Prepare to deal with whatever hand nature deals you: You may have no seeds that germinate. A critter might eat the seedlings. All the seeds you plant in each hole may sprout, so you'll need to spread them out later or choose the most robust sprouts to survive in a process called thinning. Heavy rain might wash away the seeds. But if you're lucky, you'll get strong sprouts that are ready to grow all spring.

Start Seeds Indoors
If you're eager to get growing or would like more control in the care and feeding of seedlings, start your seeds indoors in your own plant nursery. In general, you can plant seeds indoors about a month before you can do it outside. Like direct sow, you push the seeds into the soil as directed on the seed packet, but that's where the similarities end.

You're responsible for giving them quality substitutes for rain and sunlight. Keep your seeds cozy with heat mats and grow lights, water them carefully with a spray bottle or watering can, then thin them as they germinate in groups of three. Give them a boost with a gently blowing fan as they lengthen into sprouts if you'd like. Harden them off to get them used to outdoor conditions, then transplant them into your garden when they're big enough.

Transplant Young Plants Into Their New Homes
Place your transplants in the ground, then give them a generous drink without overwatering. Surround them with mulch, marking where the plant is with a stick or tag so you can easily find it among the grass clippings, old leaves, or straw. Consider putting up chicken wire or other protective measures if rabbits, squirrels, deer, or chipmunks visit your yard regularly, as your sprouts may otherwise become a snack.

Protect Your Garden With Mulch
Finish your garden bed with mulch and compost. Compost enriches the soil so your garden can grow even better. It may help foster larger and stronger plants that bear more fruit and flowers. Mulch keeps your soil moist and controls weeds. Compost and mulch can be DIY creations, but you can also purchase them in-store. The next time you're looking for "mulch near me," stop by the Garden Center to get the perfect amount.

Greet the Spring
Early spring is an exciting time in the world of gardening. Prepare to fertilize your lawn, plan your garden and landscaping, and browse The Home Depot nursery to find inspiration on what to plant when the weather warms. For those without lawns, consider adding a pellet grill or artificial grass to your outdoor space. Shop for the seeds, fertilizer, and soil you need in the aisles of your E Whiteland/Frazer, PA Garden Center, online, or on our mobile app. Let's get growing together.